The field of this invention is devices for replacing damaged door panels or the like on vehicles without having to remove the entire door frame.
Insofar as known, the most common method for replacing a damaged door panel requires that the entire door be removed from the vehicle body in order to allow the mechanic access to the door frame for removing the damaged door panel and replacing same. U.S. Pat. No. 3,180,128 discloses a crimping tool for crimping a new panel onto the door frame without having to remove the door frame. The purpose of the tool disclosed in the Faulkner patent is to save the mechanic a significant amount of labor in having to first remove and thereafter replace and realign the entire door. The Faulkner patent discloses the use of a main shaft member having a L-shaped end portion for crimping a door panel over the door frame. However, in many cases, the door panel edge initially extends at approximately a right angle with respect to the door frame, and use of a device such as disclosed in the Faulkner patent may cause the door panel edge to be unevenly bent and thus unevenly crimped.